Fayette County Juvenile Probation Juvenile Justice Journal

Volume 1, Issue 4 April, 2006

March Madness - JPO Style! What started out as an Chris Baker to assemble are the kids able to have “off the cuff” suggestion and coach a team. a positive way to release by President Judge Con- some pent up energy, but About a dozen kids have Inside this issue: rad Capuzzi, has turned it’s also a good way for participated in practice out to be a fun and pro- them to develop appro- JPO vs. Steelers 2 and in games. So far, ductive diversion for the priate social skills.” with two games under 2 kids under the supervi- Steelers Contest their belt, the kids have a “It’s fun. The kids enjoy sion of the Juvenile Pro- 3 win against students of it and so do we,” says JPO Presentation bation Office. the Intermediate Unit #1 Rich Rosner. 3 From the Chief President Judge Capuzzi Campus at Colonial and a Rosner adds that the 4 suggested to Chief Juve- loss to the students of the Youth Commission kids practice once or nile Probation Officer Adelphoi Village Day 4 twice a week at the Inter- Contact Information Jerome Andria that they Treatment Program. mediate Unit #1 Campus should form a basketball “We have found that at Colonial and hope to team with the kids under having the basketball have two or three more their supervision. Mr. team has a two-fold games this season. Andria then asked Offi- benefit,” according to cers Rich Rosner and Chris Baker, “not only

Members of the Juvenile Probation Basketball Team (in yellow) playing students of the Adelphoi Village Fayette Day Treatment Program Page 2 Juvenile Justice Journal

Fayette JPO verses the World Champion Steelers?!? It was a night unlike any the . Dakota this summer. A other in the Borough of trip to Paris, Madrid, and Playing for the Steelers Brownsville as the World London is being planned were , Ricardo Champion Pittsburgh for the summer of 2007. Colclough, Lee Mays, Steelers came to town to James Harrison, Rod Who actually won the play basketball against the Rutherford and former game and the final score faculty of the Brownsville Steeler standout Louis didn’t matter (the Steelers Middle and Senior High Lipps. won in a runaway), as a Schools. good time was had by the Proceeds benefited the A sell-out crowd watched participants and the spec- Brownsville Area Traveling as the faculty along with tators. Students, a group of stu- Probation Officers Rich dents who wish to broaden Chris Baker, who had a Rosner and Chris Baker their education by visiting collision with Lee Mays tried to do something that the National Parks and said, “My shoulder’s a little Officers Chris Baker no team in the NFL play- Monuments in Wyoming, sore, but I had fun.” (left) and Rich offs were able to do; beat Montana, and South Rosner prepare to take on the Steelers

Steeler Brett Keisel slams Climbing the ladder for Chris Baker asks one home! a rebound over Steeler “Is it over yet?” James Harrison

JPO Officers Judge Steeler Contest

Steeler fever swept in Uniontown. best decorated classroom through Lafayette Middle All throughout the hall- got a pizza party. School recently as Super ways, students were Bowl XL approached! Judging was done by dressed in their best Deputy Chief Juvenile As our Steelers were tak- Steeler costumes. The Probation Officer Josh ing on the Seattle Sea- classrooms were also deco- Eicher and Officers Dan Students at Lafayette hawks in the , rated in black and gold. Mosier and Mike Bittner, a friendly competition Middle School and Prizes were awarded to all of whom were appro- Members of the Juvenile took place between class- those judged to have the priately wearing their Probation Office rooms and students at (top row on the right) best costumes and the black and gold probation Lafayette Middle School jackets. Volume 1, Issue 4 Page 3

JPO Officer’s Give Presentation What exactly is probation Pennsylvania, specifically what can possibly happen and how does it effect you? in Fayette County, what should they decide to make That was the subject of a juvenile probation officers a wrong choice and break recent presentation made do, and what the conse- the law”, says Deputy Chief This presentation is by the Fayette County Ju- quences of getting into Juvenile Probation Officer available upon venile Probation Office at a trouble and being placed on Josh Eicher. “Hopefully request. Contact local middle school. probation are. they will use this informa- the Juvenile tion and make a good Dan Mosier and Mike Bitt- The students also received choice when and if the time Probation Office at ner, Community Based Pro- information about the new comes.” (724) 430-1223 for bation Officers in the standards of DNA collec- details. Uniontown School District tion and who is permitted For more information spoke to three different to view a juvenile’s records about this presentation or classes at the Lafayette as well as some common you would interested in Middle School in Union- misconceptions about the scheduling it for your town. The presentation Juvenile Justice System. group, contact the Juvenile included how the Juvenile Probation Office at (724) “We want the kids to know Justice System works in 430-1223.

From the Desk of the Chief Juvenile Probation Officer “To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from the story here.” As you can see from the restitution will be able to collection was over preceding pages, we have draw upon prior to the $10,000. I fondly re- had a very busy quarter. closure of their case. The member a time when we Our involvement with County has also been collected just over that our clients and the com- gracious enough to allow amount in an entire munity is something us to allocate money year. that we can be very from our Title IV-E fund Our Agency is also do- proud of and also some- to help support this pro- ing a very notable job in Chief Juvenile thing that we can build gram. This is a rela- the area of Medical As- Probation Officer on in the future. tively new concept in the sistance (MA) Realign- Jerome M. Andria field of Juvenile Justice, There are several things ment. This concept is and we are very pleased that I would like to ad- fairly new and it in- to be one of the first dress that I think are volves assigning child counties in the State of noteworthy that have care costs to medical as- Pennsylvania to imple- taken place during the sistance which in the end ment this type of pro- past several months. will help reduce the gram. county’s costs of care. Beginning on April 3, at Along the same lines, At last count, about the request of President collectively our staff is 40% of the kids that we Judge Conrad B. doing a great job in the have in care were eligible Capuzzi, we developed collection of restitution for MA Realignment as- and implemented our for victims. Last month sistance. The final dollar Juvenile Court Restitu- our Agency collected saving of our efforts has tion Fund. The JCR over $7,000 in restitution yet to be seen, but it Fund is a fund that for victims. With fines should impact signifi- nearly all clients will pay and other costs our total cantly on the County. into and clients who owe The primary mission of the Fayette County Juvenile Probation Fayette County Juvenile Probation Office is to protect the community through assessment, treatment, 34 West Peter Street and control of juvenile offenders by providing a range of effective First Floor - Federal Building services based on legal requirements and recognized professional Uniontown, PA 15401 standards. If you have and questions or comments about any material in this newslet- Phone: (724) 430-1223 ter, please contact Michael Lukac at the Fayette County Juvenile Probation Fax: (724) 430-2085 Office at (724) 430-1223 ext. 423 or e-mail at [email protected].

Send us your comments! (724) 430-1223 ext. 423 or e-mail at [email protected]

Fayette County Youth Commission

The Fayette County able goals. The pri- persons residing Youth Commission is mary goal of a Youth within that commu- a group of volunteer Commission is to act nity. citizens from a par- as a diversionary pro- Finally, we hope to ticular community gram for the local Ju- prevent the number whose purpose will be venile Court in the of children returning to assist the Juvenile processing and han- to the Juvenile Pro- Court in processing, dling of first time mi- bation Office by in- disposition, and su- nor youthful offend- volving first-time of- pervision of children ers within the com- fending youth in between 10 and 18 munity. natural community years of age who have Another goal of the supports, thereby been referred to the Youth Commission is holding them ac- Juvenile Court for the to give individuals countable for their first time for the com- within a community behavior while show- mission of minor of- The community working hand an opportunity to en- ing them a more posi- fenses. There are five in hand is the key to gage in a constructive tive lifestyle. individual Youth preventing and eliminating activity which will juvenile delinquency. Commissions in Fay- Volunteers are needed impact positively ette County operating in all five Youth upon the lives of out of the five major Commissions. If you young persons who school districts: Al- are interested in be- also reside within the bert Gallatin, coming a volunteer, same community with Brownsville, Con- contact Michael Lu- the ultimate goals be- nellsville, Laurel kac at the Juvenile ing the reduction of Highlands and Union- Probation Office at crime and the im- town. (724) 430-1223 exten- provement of the sion 423. Youth Commissions overall safety and have several identifi- quality of life for all